Housing in Global Communities

Learning Goal: We are going to be able to explain why and how where we live affects housing in global communities.

Success Criteria: I know I am successful when I can...

explain how the geographic position of communities (close to the north pole, the equator, in a forest, on water, etc.) can affect the type of house people may live in.

explain how the environment in which people live may affect the materials they can use to build shelter.

demonstrate an understanding that people from different communities will live in different houses.

housing in arctic canada

In the past, the Inuit (not "Eskimos") would build igluigaq, or "igloos," to protect themselves from the harsh environment in which they lived. These igloos would be made of the materials in the community. Since Arctic Canada is above the tree line (where trees stop growing because the ground is frozen), they could only use snow to create shelter. These shelters are rarely used today, except when hunting far from their communities.

Today, most Inuit live in villages and no longer follow the herds of musk ox and caribou for a living. Therefore, they have imported wood from southern Canada and construct homes that are not touching the ground. If they touched the ground, the warmth from inside would melt the frozen ground. This would make the ground unstable and the house would collapse.

IN THE PAST: IGLOO

TODAY: Modern House Model (ABOVE GROUND!)

housing in zimbabwe

URBANWhat is an urban area?

An urban area is where many people live close together in a small area (high density!). For example, large cities, such as Hong Kong, Tokyo, Toronto, and New Delhi are all considered urban areas.

Urban areas are generally the centre for trade and government of a country.

The largest urban area in Zimbabwe is the capital, Harare.

Homes in urban areas in Zimbabwe are very similar to what we see in other countries around the world.

RURALWhat is a rural area?

A rural area is where few people live in a very large area (low density). For example, the majority of Canada is rural. A large amount of space with a very low population.

Normally, in rural area you will find a large amount of farms or forests.

In rural Zimbabwe, we will also find some of the traditional peoples of Zimbabwe (the Shona and Ndebele) who built their homes from the materials available.

Shona Huts and Villages

The Shona, a native people of Zimbabwe, traditionally (in the past) lived in thatched huts with walls made of mud.

Some people now have cement block or brick houses, but these also often have thatched roofs made of bush grass (material).

Huts are very small – many have just one room for an entire family!

Cooking and washing are done outside!

Some people have a separate place for a kitche, called a roundavel.

Toilets are also in a small separate building.

Water is often provided by a bore hole, which is a small well.

To see a video on life in a village in Zimbabwe, watch the video below:

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